Barrister Winery Tour and Tasting – A Wonderful Experience Part 1

Over Easter weekend, my brothers, sister-in-law and I went on a tour of Barrister Winery in Spokane, WA.  I was very excited to go tour a winery – the last time I toured a winery, it didn’t mean much to me.  Now, I had a little bit better understanding of the industry and was looking forward to learning more.

Not only has the winery received many rave reviews in both local and national publications, the owners/winemakers for Barrister winery were also former lawyers, which I felt was fitting, since I work with lawyers now.

We did both a tasting and a tour, so I am going to split my experience into two parts.  Part 1 will discuss the tasting portion of our visit, and part 2 will detail the tour.

Barrister winery is located in downtown Spokane, WA on Railroad Ave.  The building is literally next to railroad tracks – very fitting.  The building where the winery is housed is old and rich, but still warm and inviting.  The tasting area included a bar, as well as a big open room filled with cocktail tables and art.  The winery hosts and is used for events and I could see it being the perfect spot for an anniversary dinner (mental note to self).

We were a touch early, so we started our journey with a tasting flight, and the women that helped us were very nice and very informative.  I have an ability to ask a lot of “stupid” questions, and they never hesitated to answer.

Our tasting flight included:

• 2011 Klipsun Vineyard Red Mountain Sauvignon Blanc
• Rough Justice Columbia Valley Red Wine (a mix of grapes and red wines)
• 2009 Artz Vineyard Red Mountain Merlot
• 2009 Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc
• 2008 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

There were two that stood out to me the most, the Sauvignon Blanc and the Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Sauvignon Blanc was light yellow, almost clear in color.  It had a wonderful, light citrus nose and it had a sweet (but not overly sugary) and refreshing citrus palette.  I could see this wine being wonderful on a hot summer day.

The Cabernet Sauvignon was a lovely dark, ruby-red color.  It had a pleasant, sweet cherry nose and interesting palette – both spicy and dark fruit.  I also felt it was a bit chalky, but not in a bad way.  The wine would go nice with a heavy meal.

Mind you, I have a lot (and I mean a lot) to learn about pairing, but I mean well.

On a side note, this winery is very family friendly.  The open tasting room and friendly staff make for a comfortable experience for both the adults and the children.

After tasting, we were greeted by owner/winemaker Greg Lipsker.  Stay tuned for Part 2…..